On the southwest side of High Street, Woodstock, between Church Street and Main, on Lot 138, nearly opposite the Lutheran Church, stood the home of Robert Allen, of Scotland. Here were born his sons, Robert (1794-1859) and John James (1797-1871), both of whom were members of Congress from Virginia; the former from 1827 to 1833; the latter from 1833 to 1835. John James Allen was also the presiding justice of the supreme court of appeals of Virginia from 1852 to 1865, and was the author of the celebrated "Botetourt Resolutions" of 1861.

It is a noteworthy fact that for seven years, 1852 to 1859, two of the justices of the supreme court of appeals of Virginia were native sons of Shenandoah County. They were James Allen and Green Berry Samuels.

Excerpted from John W. Wayland's A History of Shenandoah County, Virginia

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